Irina Cattalini from WACOSS says the rising costs announced in the State Budget would exacerbate the financial strife for older unemployed people and their families. Picture: File imageSource:News Limited

OLDER West Australians have never found it harder to get a job.

As the Federal Government prepares to raise the pension age to 70, The Sunday Times can reveal that in the past year there has been a 33 per cent increase in the number of unemployed West Australians over 40.

This includes a sharp rise among the 60-64 age group.

The Newstart Allowance was paid to more than 54,600 West Australians last year – up from 43,282 the year before.

The unemployment benefit is paid to Australians looking for work.

The number of unemployed West Australians aged between 40 and 64 receiving the payment jumped from 21,003 to 28,069.

Council on the Ageing WA chief executive Ken Marston said the figures were alarming.

“Statistics show that people who lose their jobs in later life face long-term unemployment and many will never get another job,’’ he said.

“Older people are discriminated against in the workplace, are often targeted as the first to go when there are redundancies, and are less likely to be offered jobs by employers. This is despite the fact that older workers are safe, reliable and experienced.’’

Mr Marston said many older people wanted to stay working because their superannuation had been hit hard by the Global Financial Crisis.

WA Council of Social Services chief executive Irina Cattalini said the rising costs announced in the State Budget would exacerbate the financial strife for older unemployed people and their families.

Ms Cattalini said the Newstart payment was too low, at less than 40 per cent of WA’s minimum wage.

Federal Opposition employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor said while unemployment was on the rise in WA, the Federal Government had no plans for increasing job numbers or helping people to work longer.

“The only response from this Government has been to send jobs overseas, cut wages, ease restrictions on temporary skilled migration, increase the retirement age and introduce new taxes,’’ he told The Sunday Times.

Treasurer Joe Hockey announced this month that the Federal Government would raise the pension age to 70 by 2035.